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Sunday, 6 March 2011

JML Magic Minerals Mineral Powder

RRP: £29.99

--What does the promo say?--

"The only make up you’ll ever need.
Change the way you apply your make up forever, with Magic Minerals from JML. Created by make up expert Jerome Alexander, the amazing Mineral Powder works as a foundation, corrector and concealer all-in-one. Its unique built-in colour correctors make skin imperfections magically disappear while its ultra-fine formula glides on gently and hides the appearance of age spots, dark circles and even breakouts. Unlike other foundations, Magic Minerals allows you to build up coverage to achieve the look you want, without it ever looking heavy or caked on.

Foundation, corrector and concealer all-in-one

Perfect, even coverage

Hypoallergenic with natural SPF

Fragrance and talc free

One shade suits everyone

Ultra fine; won’t get caught in wrinkles, lines and creases.

Suitable for light to medium skin tones."

--Packaging--

A robust black plastic square which, unlike a lot of high street powders, has a really good size of mirror included in the lid. Mine also came with the brush, which is sometimes included as part of special deals at JML but also retails separately on the site at £7.99. Sadly the brush is terrible and does not live up to the 'professional quality' tag attached to it: the bristles are really coarse and started falling out of the brush from the very first use. Nevertheless, it does pick up and hold the powder well during application without sending it everywhere.

--Application--

Swirl the brush across the powder palette and sweep over face after applying any other base products such as foundation or concealer. Nothing tricky about that.

--Appearance--

I was a little concerned that in spite of the product being pegged as being suitable for light to medium skin tones, it would be too dark on me, as in the palette the powder appeared quite orange. However, I need not have worried, as it did indeed match my skin tone perfectly. The powder is also speckled in the palette with small dots of bronze, white, green, pink, yellow and purple, which are colours used in powders by many companies to help counteract the effects of lines, redness and scars - so while it may look odd if you're not used to this kind of product, be assured that there is a method to the madness.

--Scent--

None - as promised.

--Texture and consistency--

Again, as promised, it is a fine powder which does not cake or weigh heavily on the skin.

--Effects on the skin--

Sadly, the product does not deliver on the miracle effects described in its promotional materials. I applied this over bare skin and saw no difference at all, but held out hope that once I had applied all of my usual concealer and foundation that I would see a difference (as a long-term acne sufferer I do accept that I am quite a special case). However, the difference was only minimal - a long way from being the holy grail of a "foundation, concealer and corrector all-in-one". Plus, the product just did not provide the radiance and coverage that I see from my usual choice (Arbonne's Sheer Pressed Powder). All in all an underwhelming experience.

--Value for money--

The price tag is outrageous and astronomical - which would be fine if it worked. There is far too little effect for the money paid (and for that money you expect real wow-factor stuff) for a product by a designer that nobody has heard of. Products in the same price bracket (£25-£30) include the Arbonne powder mentioned above (£26), as well as powders by such luminaries as Lancôme, Guerlain (their Meteorites refills and travel versions - I suspect the inspiration for this product - retail at £30 and under from Slapiton and ScentStore) and Bobbi Brown, who all produce wow-factor results at the makeup counter. While JML offers a few slightly more lucrative deals on its website (go for the Special TV Deal, for instance, and you'll get the powder with a blusher, mascara, makeup brush and explanatory brochure - all still for £29.99), you would be better off giving this a miss altogether and going for one of the big-name brands mentioned above, or to a minerals specialist, such as PurMinerals (starter kit: £26), or pressed powders from Bellapierre (£29 from House of Fraser) or Youngblood (£30).

Hi, was just about to whip out my credit card on the JML website (£44.98!) ... thought I would check out the reviews first and came across yours. Thank you, have saved myself the disappointment and a lot of money! GG

I bought this today and am very disappointed. The brush is very bad quality,as for the powder..I looked 10 yrs older and deathly pale. it was so awful, I actually started laughing at myself in the bathroom mirror.I use Elizbeth Arden mineral powder as the norm, and its great, but just got roped in by the advert for this. I will stick with Liz!!

I bought this today and am very disappointed. The brush is very bad quality,as for the powder..I looked 10 yrs older and deathly pale. it was so awful, I actually started laughing at myself in the bathroom mirror.I use Elizbeth Arden mineral powder as the norm, and its great, but just got roped in by the advert for this. I will stick with Liz!!

my mother bought the magic minerals for myself my daughter and herself. we are all different skin tones etc. we all love the product. i am very pale skinned with redness and circles under my eyes. you just keep applying the powder until you get the coverage you need. you can look pale but you just have to add your colour as in blush etc. it lasts all day and the 3 of us love it. no shine, no sliding off. brilliant. xx

Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad the product seems to work for some people. I'm afraid I found that even adding blush etc is not enough by way of compensation for this product's shortcomings - but I'm glad you are enjoying it :)

I used the magic minerals face powder and it covered my spots well. Although I feel my Avon minerals look more natural. I received a free mascara with the order and it was empty. I like the product OK but I pay less and get a better result from the Avon minerals.

I was literally filling out the online order form and googled for a promo code and found your review by accident. What a happy accident! Thank you for your great review, but I'm sorry the product didn't work for you. (Thanks for saving a lot of us money!)

If your looking for a mineral powder. Use BareEscentuals BareMinerals. I have horrible acne and their products do wonders! And if your concerened about their price just google the product you want or go on ebay.

I have just come across this blog and am amazed by how many people have not bought the product because of it...firstly, you DON'T put the product on with the brush, you use the compact sponge and layer it on to your skin, THEN you use the brush to buff it....hey presto, perfect light coverage that hides age spots, doesn't settle in wrinkles and lasts all day! No i don't get paid by jerome alexander but i do think people should learn how to use it before giving a negative review!

You'll notice that this post is a little old (2011), and so I think it's pertinent to mention that when I wrote it, the product did not come with a sponge. If it had, I would have mentioned this and certainly tested the product using it. To therefore say that my review is inaccurate because of NOT mentioning the sponge seems a little unfair.

Secondly, for what it's worth, I don't think that using a sponge would make a significant difference to the result from what I consider to be an inferior product. I'm sorry if you don't agree with my assessment of the product. You will notice that I did give a very positive review to the Jerome Alexander mascara and that on the whole I like JML's products (I have given several positive reviews to products from them).

Beauty blogs exist so that consumers have somewhere to go to get honest opinions (again, from ordinary consumers) beyond the often Photoshopped sheen of advertising. If I think a product is brilliant, I will say so. Equally, if I don't think a product comes up to standard, I will say so. I have given bad reviews and good reviews to cheap and expensive products alike. People reading this blog can therefore choose after reading it whether or not they wish to purchase a particular product. Chances are they will not just read my blog before doing so, anyway.

Thanks in any case for stopping by, and I hope you'll be back here again in future.

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About Me

As a teacher, blogger, freelance translator, sometime student of Italian, onetime NaNoWriMo contestant and generally obsessive reader and writer, I think it's safe to say that language is my life. My side interests include documentaries, not tidying, and Double Stuf Oreos.